Russian invasion of Ukraine: tanks and rocket attacks on the cities. Breaking news
Early in the morning of February 24, 2022, Russia launched missile strikes on the territory of Ukraine and launched a direct full-scale invasion. Ukraine repulses the enemy. As of April 28, 2022, more than 22800 russian servicemen, thousands of units of military equipment (187 planes, 155 helicopters, 970 tanks, 2389 armored vehicles, 1688 machines, 582 artillery / rocket artillery systems, 8 ships and more) have been eliminated.
Polish President Andrzej Duda has signed amendments to the law on assistance to citizens of Ukraine who left their homeland due to the war. The changes regard the temporary admission to the medical profession and the regulation of registration in the PESEL tax number system.
The French embassy is returning to Kyiv, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed.
The IMF has increased emergency funding to help Ukraine, launched a special account for further funding and, together with international partners, is preparing for a large-scale effort to rebuild the country, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said in an interview.
Defenders of Mariupol since the siege of the city by Russian troops have inflicted huge losses on the invaders in manpower and equipment. Thus, the soldiers of the Azov Special Operations Detachment destroyed and wounded more than 2 thousand invaders.
This was announced by Deputy Commander of the Azov Regiment, Captain Svyatoslav "Kalyna" Palamar.
The European Union plans to impose a phased embargo on the purchase of Russian oil to punish the occupying country for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but substantive negotiations on this will begin no earlier than the second round of presidential elections in France. This was reported by The New York Times, citing sources.
Operational information from the General Staff:
- In the Volyn and Polissya directions, separate units of the Armed Forces of Belarus are carrying out tasks to cover the Belarus–Ukraine border in the Brest and Gomel regions.
- In the Southern Bug direction, the enemy is trying to carry out fortification equipment of positions, replenish stocks of weapons and military equipment. Conducts reconnaissance with the involvement of drones.
- In the Donetsk and Taurica directions, the enemy's main efforts were focused on attempts to capture the settlements of Popasna and Rubizhne. The actions are not successful.
- Thus, in the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, 8 enemy attacks were repulsed in the past 24 hours, 4 tanks, 6 armored personnel vehicles, 4 infantry fighting vehicles, as well as one enemy artillery system were destroyed.
Ukraine treats seriously the threats from the Russian Defense Ministry to bomb Kyiv, but is not afraid and must respond to them. This was stated in an interview with the BBC by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"We take all threats seriously because these threats can lead to the death of our people. We are not afraid of any of the threats from Russia. We must respond to all moves of Russia that threaten us," he said.
German Minister for Economic Affairs Robert Habeck called on Europe to increase arms supplies to Ukraine. The official also advised the Germans to save energy to spite Putin. This was reported by ZDF.
In Mariupol, blocked by Russian troops, 95% of buildings were destroyed by enemy shelling and bombing. Tens of thousands of citizens could be dead as a result of continuous attacks by the invaders, said President Volodymyr Zelensky in an interview with the BBC.
The schedule of evacuation trains for today, April 15.
- 06:00 - 209/210 Ivano-Frankivsk - Kharkiv.
- 11:30 - 209/210 Kharkiv - Ivano-Frankivsk
- 11:30 - 219/220 Zaporizhzhia 1 - Lviv
- 14:30 - 220/219 Lviv - Zaporizhzhia 1
- 16:30 - 234/233 Pokrovsk - Chop
- 23:30 - 234/233 Chop - Dnipro
President Zelensky commented on the sunken "Moscow".
"What is happening in the Russian army, which attacked us, which is the invaders, which is blocking, by the way, the Black Sea, I honestly do not care about it. If it decreases, it's not bad," said Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukraine protects the whole democratic world. Video of Operational Command South.
The main news that happened overnight:
- No one knows exactly how to stop the war. This is how President Volodymyr Zelensky answered the question in an interview with the BBC
- In Russia, in the city of Ivanovo, police detained a man who was distributing the book "1984" by George Orwell for free.
- About 100 Canadian servicemen will go to Poland to help take in Ukrainian refugees who are fleeing Russian aggression.
- The desperation of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, who seeks to create the illusion of victory in Ukraine, may prompt him to order the use of tactical or low-yield nuclear weapons, said William Burns, director of the US Central Intelligence Agency.
- The United Arab Emirates sent a plane with 50 tons of humanitarian cargo and equipped ambulances to Ukraine.
- The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, visited Bucha and Borodianka to record the atrocities of the Russian occupying army.
- In the Kherson oblast, after tense negotiations, five Ukrainian servicemen were exchanged for four captured Russian invaders.
- The US does not want to return assets to Russian oligarchs that were seized under sanctions for Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
- There may be two nuclear warheads for cruise missiles onboard the missile cruiser "Moskva", which was hit by anti-ship missiles of the "Neptune" complex.
- On April 15, humanitarian aid will be delivered to Ukraine from France - 24 vehicles for firefighters and medics and 50 tons of equipment for emergency rescue operations.
In Bucha in the Kyiv region, almost 85% of the bodies of the civilians killed have bullet holes - this indicates a deliberate intentional murder. The mayor of Bucha Anatoliy Fedoruk emphasized this on the air of the national telethon.
Great Britain has imposed sanctions on two close associates of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine - Chelsea Football Club director Eugene Tenenbaum and oligarch's business partner David Davidovich became subjects to restrictions.
This is the largest asset freeze ever imposed by the government, writes Reuters.
On April 14, the Russian occupiers shelled the Sumy region. The enemy used heavy artillery with shells prohibited by international law. This was announced by Sumy State Military Administration Chairman Dmytro Zhyvytskyi.
Russia has approached Brazil for its help to avoid anti-Russian sanctions imposed as a result of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This was reported by Reuters.
The ships of the Russian occupiers remain in the Black Sea, maneuvering and regrouping. This was reported by the operational command South.
Ukraine has never stopped its missile program. Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov wrote this on Facebook.
According to Danilov, in August 2021, the National Security and Defense Council decided to develop missile weapons by 2031 with the cost foreseen for this program in the amount exceeding UAH 200 billion.
Speakers of the Senates of Poland and the Czech Republic visited Irpin, Bucha and Borodyanka.
"In the Senate of the Czech Parliament we know what is happening in Ukraine, but we consider it necessary and right to see this horror with our own eyes," Czech Senate Speaker Milos Vystrčil wrote on Twitter.
UNESCO has launched the Backup Ukraine project to save the cultural heritage of Ukraine, which may be destroyed due to a full-scale Russian invasion.
The frontman of Okean Elzy band Svyatoslav Vakarchuk plays music on the ruins of the shot passage in Kharkiv. The photo was posted on Facebook by a writer Serhiy Zhadan.
Bus operator FlixBus is resuming routes to Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities - bus routes have been suspended since the start of the war. This is stated on the Government portal.
50 days. Zelensky's address. Full video:
During these 50 days of full-scale invasion Russians showed that Donbas is their main target, Donbas is what they want to destroy first of all, - Zelensky.
Russia started the war not on February 24, they came to us in 2014. 14,000 dead during this time. How did the world respond to this? The question remained rhetorical, which gave them the ground to start a full-scale war - the evening address of Presydent Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine: The Spanish city of Fuentes de Andalucía was temporarily renamed to Ukraine. The initiative will last a week.
Zelensky had a phone call with France's Macron. The two presidents discussed the negotiation process and investigation of crimes committed by the Russian Federation.
The Head of Khmelnytskyi Regional Administration Serhii Hamalii: In the Khmelnytskyi region, a truck driver from Kyiv caused an accident at a checkpoint due to drunk driving. One Ukrainian soldier is dead, two Territorial Defense volunteers are injured.
On April 14th, the National Bank of Ukraine allowed banks to sell foreign currency to the public.
Ministry of Defense of Russia admitted that Moskva drowned during an attempt to tow it to the port "under storm conditions".
France is returning its ambassador to Kyiv, said Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba. At the same time, the country supports the oil embargo against Russia.
Spoke with my French counterpart @JY_LeDrian. Grateful to France for supporting the oil embargo on Russia at the level of the EU. Ukraine is convinced that this step needs to be taken as soon as possible. I highly appreciate France’s decision to return its ambassador to Kyiv.
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) April 14, 2022
The entire controlled territory of Ukraine is now on air alert.
Summary of the situation in Donbas from the Joint Forces Operation fighters:
- six enemy attacks repelled
- 4 Russian tanks destroyed
- 6 armoured personnel carriers destroyed
- 4 infantry fighting vehicles destroyed
- an enemy artillery system destroyed
Humanitarian aid has already reached every settlement in the Kyiv region. In the near future, stores will be opened and pension or social benefit liabilities will be paid, Pavlyuk said.
Defense of the Kyiv region: Fortification works are coming to an end. Troops are occupying the appropriate lines and preparing for the likely encounter of the enemy, according to Oleksandr Pavlyuk.
Currently, there are 806 bodies of dead Ukrainians in the morgues of the Kyiv region, said Oleksandr Pavlyuk.
Head of the The Kyiv Regional Military Administration Oleksandr Pavlyuk told how the bodies of the occupants are being removed from the Kyiv region: “We collect the remains, exhume them, transfer them to morgues. Investigators describe them and then the decision is made to either hand them over to the Russian side or, if they refuse, bury the bodies in mass graves”.
"Stop feeding the Russian war machine and help Ukraine with military equipment." Zelensky published a video on atrocities committed by the Russian army in Ukraine.
In the past 24 hours, the Russians have shelled Kharkiv about 34 times using grenades, artillery and mortars, Oleh Synehubov reported. They hit both the park and residential areas Oleksiivka, KhTZ, Saltivka.
White House: President Biden is ready to visit Ukraine in person.
The head of the Kharkiv Regional Administration Oleh Synyehubov: During the last 24 hours, the Ukrainian army destroyed 1 UCAV and 2 Su jets in the Kharkiv region.
The Azov regiment has reported that in 1,200 hours of defense of Mariupol Ukrainian fighters
- have destroyed 46 and shot down 27 Russian tanks
- have destroyed and shot down 69 BMP and BMD infantry fighting vehicles, 30 APCs, «Typhoon», “Rys”, “Tiger” vehicles, trucks, cars, UAVs, a boat, an aircraft
- have wounded and killed more than 2,000 enemy infantry.
In Ukraine, V and Z symbols were banned in advertising, on transport, clothing and materials (except those that condemn the aggression of the Russian Federation), and Russia was recognized as a terrorist state, according to a bill endorsed by the Verkhovna Rada.
CNN: The Biden Administration predicts that the active phase of the fully-scaled invasion will last "a month or even more".
Ukraine will play at the 2022 World Volleyball Championship instead of Russia, said the Ukrainian Volleyball Federation.
Google stops monetizing content that spreads fakes about Russia's war against Ukraine, denies it or justifies it, said the head of the Ministry of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov.
"This is a humiliation for Russia." Ukrainian cruise missiles burned the Moskva flagship. Here's what we know so far.